Cities' housing efforts faulted

March 21, 2008|By Sallie James Staff Writer

FORT LAUDERDALE — When it comes to affordable housing, not one city in Broward County has enough. And only two have begun formulating plans close to meeting the needs of everyday workers, according to a new study.

Hollywood and Davie are the only municipalities among 31 in the county making significant progress toward making their housing plans a reality, according to the Broward County Housing Partnership. The private, not-for-profit group that promotes affordable housing released some general results of a new report during a Thursday breakfast meeting at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. A portion of the report ranked cities based on their efforts, but the list was not made available to those in attendance.

"I think a number of communities have begun to address affordable housing from a sub-policy level, such as a comprehensive plan for a CRA [Community Redevelopment Agency], but for the most part they have not been able to implement it," said Ned Murray, associate director of the Florida International University Metropolitan Center, who presented the results to planners, city officials and members of several chambers of commerce.

The report portrayed the housing situation in Broward County as grim, with little affordable housing available in the near future.

"Is it bad? Yes. But we anticipated this," Murray said. "It's something governments don't do well to begin with."

Curing the problem in Broward is especially difficult because most housing is too pricey for the average worker, most jobs don't pay enough to cover the cost and rent prices continue to soar, according to the 2007 Broward County Affordable Housing Market Update and Municipal Scorecard.

The current $314,200 median sales price for a single-family home in Broward is still too high for the average worker, with affordability gaps ranging from $153,558 in Pompano Beach to $277,499 in Fort Lauderdale, the study said.

Davie's director of housing and community development said the city has made affordable housing a priority.

"We range from mobile homes to mansions," said Shirley Taylor-Prakelt. "We don't want people to become homeless through displacement."

Sid Spiro, chairman of the Broward Housing Partnership, said cities need to expedite the approval process for housing projects to help cut costs and reduce time.

"There can be a lot done from a public policy standpoint," Spiro said. "Right now it takes months and months and moths and it costs a lot of money."

Sallie James can be reached at sjames@sun-sentinel.com or 954-572-2019.